New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday evening after a communications outage disrupted air traffic control systems across the United States, allowing departures to resume after hours of disruption.

15 p.m. Eastern on November 13, according to NBC News. Officials cautioned that lifting the restriction would not immediately restore normal airline operations.

Communications failure halted departures

The FAA ordered departing aircraft to remain on the ground after a communication issue affected its Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Its initial notice cited extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns, while inbound international flights were to be handled individually.

The B...